Micro-film jacket-notching device

ABSTRACT

In a preferred embodiment, a wheel-like blade structure shaped substantially as a disk having a substantially flat circumscribing periphery with a notch therein forming the blade, and with each of opposite ends of the disk extending axially in substantially conical shapes and being biased in an upward blade position, having handle structure for rotating the disk in a downwardly blade-cutting direction against a biasing spring which spring simultaneously biases a flat horizontally positioned plate having a central hole therein in which the disk is mounted for suitable rotation and for movement of the blade downwardly in flush alignment with the forward inner edge of the hole in order to effect a scissor-type cutting action, with there being shoulders extending in opposite directions from the notch defining the blade, the shoulders serving as aligning shoulders for a linear edge of a microfilm jacket which when aligned therewith extends through the blade-notch between the blade and the top edge of the cutting portion of the plate such that when the blade is brought downwardly a notch is cut into the edge of the microfilm jacket, and there being a slidable flat horizontally positioned plate for sliding to and fro laterally in front of the aligning shoulders and in front of the cutting blade, on which the microfilm jacket is flatly mountable with there being included on the slidable microfilm mount a plurality of designations in series of different notching positions relative to a seating position for the microfilm jacket on the horizontal laterally to and fro slidable plate, and including a spring-biased key for snap-in releasable engagement of the slidable mounting plate in each of the designated notching positions so as to intermittently hold the slidable mounting plate in a fixed position during a notching operation.

United States Patent Kiejzik MICRO-FILM JACKET-NOTCHING DEVICE Paul A. Kiejzik, 2907 Monterey Ct., Springfield, Pa. 19069 Filed: Oct. 15, 1973 Appl. No.: 406,594

Inventor:

US. Cl 83/522, 83/564, 83/583, 83/611, 83/917, 83/468 Int. Cl B26! 7/28, 826d 5/10 Field of Search 83/56, 468, 522, 564, 583, 83/596, 611, 693, 917

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1943 Brown 83/611 8/1966 Gobel et a1. 83/917 X 5/1967 Boragina et al 83/522 X 8/1970 Ford 83/611 X Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie 1 May 28, 1974 downwardly blade-cutting direction against a biasing spring which spring simultaneously biases a flat horizontally positioned plate having a central hole therein in which the disk is mounted for suitable rotation and for movement of the blade downwardly in flush alignment with the forward inner edge of the hole in order to effect a scissor-type cutting action, with there being shoulders extending in opposite directions from the notch defining the blade, the shoulders serving as aligning shoulders for a linear edge of a microfilm jacket which when aligned therewith extends through the blade-notch between the blade and the top edge of the cutting portion of the plate such that when the blade is brought downwardly a notch is cut into the edge of the microfilm jacket, and there being a slidable flat horizontally positioned plate for sliding to and fro laterally in front of the aligning shoulders and in front of the cutting blade, on which the microfilm jacket is flatly mountable with there being included on the slidable microfilm mount a plurality of designations in series of different notching positions relative to a seating position for the microfilm jacket on the horizontal laterally to and fro slidable plate, and including a spring-biased key for snap-in releasable engagement of the slidable mounting plate in each of the designated notching positions so as to intermittently hold the slidable mounting plate in a fixed position during a notching operation.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 MICRO-FILM JACKET-NOTCHING DEVICE This invention relates to a novel microfilm jacket notching device.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Prior to the present invention, the development of microfilm recording of data has advanced significantly in large scale use in recent years and jackets in which the microfilm may be stored and simultaneously classitied and identified have become increasingly important for the storage of such films, and accordingly as different varieties of the jackets having multiplicity of possible coded colors, normally each jacket having a single color strip along its edge to be notched, eventual exhaustion of the initial supply of the jackets which are furnished with the initial ordered supply of microfilms and jackets therefor necessitates the need for addi' tional jackets from time to time devoid of pre-notched edges, the initial supply having been pre-notched before delivery, a notching device or machine is now needed in order to notch the newly arriving small orders of microfilm jackets particularly to replace exhausted jackets of a particular code the jackets of other codes still often being in adequate supply, in which the notching device is of a size and construction and sales purchase price and ease of operation to make it adaptable to small and large offices alike. Thereby it would be possible to order blank uncoded microfilm jackets and to impart the particular coding desired, or needed, by the notching at the office. And prior to the present invention, such a machine or apparatus did not exist, the sole devices for such purpose of coding being large and complicated and expensive devices used by the manufacturer and/or distributor(s) of the coded jackets where it is standard to notch large numbers of jackets continually thereby justifying the high cost and complexity of such a machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, objects of the present invention include the overcoming and avoiding of the difficulties and short-comings of the prior notching devices, together with the obtaining of new and desirable advantages.

Another object includes the obtaining of a microfilm jacket device of simple structure and/or low cost of parts and/or the manufacture thereof.

Another object is to obtain a matching device having improved flexibility and/or ease of operation for a multiplicity of alternate notching of a microfilm jacket.

Another object is to obtain a novel microfilm notching device having improved accuracy and/or cleancutting characteristics for the cutting of the characteristically tough microfilm jackets as typically made from mylar-type or other tough material.

Other objects become apparent from the preceding and following disclosure.

One or more objects of the present invention are obtained by the invention as defined herein.

Broadly the invention includes a support structure for a disk-like blade-mounting and for the support of a microfilm jacket in front of the blade in an aligned position for a selective notching of the edge thereof and including a slide mechanism for varying the position of the microfilm jacket seated thereon relative to the blade in order to notch at any of a plurality of possible predetermined positions according to a standard code.

The disk-type blade as a substantially flat outer circumscribing periphery with sides diverging from the outer edge of that periphery on each side of that flat surface, with the diverging sides converging radially inwardly in a conical-like fashion such that the opposite ends of the disk are substantially conical or rounded in appearance, with the opposite ends of the disk being shaped as or including a separate axis seatable in a seating indentation for each of opposite axis ends, the indentations being in the structure. There is a flat slidable plate slidable to and fro rearwardly and forwardly within a slot defined by the overall support structure and the plate has provided centrally thereof a space for the seating therein of the disk-type blade in a substantially loose fit within the hole, allowing the plate to move to and fro in the forwardly and rearwardly directions, but the plate being spring-biased rearwardly such that the forward edge of the hole structure of the plate is substantially linear in shape and is shaped to flushly engage the face of the blade as the blade is pulled downwardly in order to effect a scissor cutting action, while the conically outwardly diverging sides also are substantially flushly conformed to by the shape of the hole-defining structure in order that at all times the rearwardly biased plate is maintained in a position such that the forward cutting edge thereof is in a close-cutting position relative to the blade, the blade of the disk being defined by an indentation on the face of the disk into which the edge of a microfilm jacket is slidably beneath the blade, between the blade and the plate cutting edge plate level. The device preferably includes a microfilmmounting slidable plate mounted in front of the blade, slidably mounted within a slot structure of the overall support structure and including a biased key releasably lockable of slidable plate and plurality of consecutively serially arranged positions which are marked on the plate or on the support structure designating distinct coated notching positions, for holding the plate in the predetermined positions for notching thereof, it being possible for the operator to select the position for the notch as desired by the operator. Rearwardly of the sliding plate and in alignment with the cutting notch defining the blade, there are shoulders extending in each of opposite lateral directions against which shoulders the microfilm jacket is alignable for accurate positioning of the microfilm jacket prior to the movement to the desired notching position. The slidable plate is slidable to and fro rearwardly and forwardly but as noted above is biased rearwardly within a front to rearward slot defined by the support structure.

The invention may be better understood by making reference to the figures as follow.

THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective side view, a preferred embodiment of the present invention described above.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional side view as taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an in-part cross-sectional elevation plan view as taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates an in-part view of the disk-like conically end-shaped cutting device and slidable bladeengaging plate described above, shown in perspective side view.

FIG. 5 illustrates the same mechanism as described in FIG. 4 above, except as view from an underside thereof in perspective side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION and a and rearward lips 10b and 10b, the cutting edge 11 of the blade defined within the face 8, the plate 13 leading inner-hole forward edge 12 serving as a cutting edge serving in cooperation with the cutting edge -l1, the spring-mounting holes 14, the mounted spring legs ends 39 mounted in the holes 14, the spring body itself 15, having a central portion 16 thereof engaged in disk slot 17. The wheel-like structure revolves pivotably around its axis 18 which is seated within seating indentations of the support structure 35 upon the upper surface thereof, the plate 13 slides to and fro forwardly and backwardly biased in the rearwardly direction. The opposite ends of the hole-defining structure of 13 are identified as edges 19. A platform section 20 has at a rearward edge thereof an upright shoulder 21 on each of opposite sides of the blade aligned with the indentation space of the blade beside the blade and the shoulders 21 extending in opposite directions therefrom lineally and each of the oppositely extending shoulders beingin alignment lineally with one-another, and there preferably being a part of the support structure an overhanging structure 22 for holding downwardly in proper position the edge of the microfilm jacket positioned flushly against the shoulders 21 on the platform 20. Along the forward edge of the platform 20 is a slot 23 having a plate 28 slidably mounted therein for lateral to and fro sliding with the upper surface of the plate being flat and extending in a common plane with the upper surface of the support surface 20, the microfilm jacket being typically mountable on the upper surface of the plate 28, the typical positioning of a microfilm jacket being shown in FIG. 1 in phantom lines as it would be positioned on the plate and within the cavity defined by the overhang 22, aligned flushly against the shoulders 21. The plate 22 includes scalloped edge 29 with the individual scallops aligned at predetermined positions serially lineally along the edge of the underside of the plate and extending laterally in order that the designations on the upper surface of the slidable microfilm jacket slidable mounting plate may be correlated with respective scallop positions. Abutting notch surface 24 abuts the plate hole rearward structure which fits within an abutting indentation defining the abutting surface 24 such that upward biasing of the blade causes the abutment 24 to abut the plate abutment surface 25. The forward support structure formsa male wedge 26 structure which is of convex configuration and fits into the slide plate 28 concave edge 27 permitting the plate 28 to slide laterally but not be lifted out upwardly. Similarly edge 36 extends under slanted structure 37a of lip 37 having front face 38 of main front body 35. The support body 35 surrounding the main body hole into which the blade disk fits, has

simicircular axis seats therein on each of opposite axis sides of the hole. The forward support body 35 has 4 spring-seat space 35a with spring 34 biased against key 31 pivoted on swing axis structure 40 seated in pivotspace 41, such that the key 31 is lockably releasably into scollops 30, and releasable therefrom by forcefully sliding the plate to a next position.

It is within the scope of the present invention to make variations and modifications and substitutions of equivalents as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in this art.

I claim:

1. A microfilm-jacket-notching device comprising in combination: a support structure defining a recess downwardly therein and defining seat spaces on each of opposite lateral sides of the recess for the seating of opposite ends of an axis structure and defining along an upper face of the structure shoulder structure on each of opposite edges extending from front to back along lateral sides of the recess thereby shaping a front-toback slot between the opposite shoulder structures; a blade means including a wheel-like structure and an axis therefor seatable in each of the seat spaces at each of opposite ends of the axis respectively, the wheel-like structure defining a substantially linear face in substantially parallel alignment with the axis and extending linearly from side to side of the wheel-like structure, and the face extending angularly in each of opposite direction substantially circumscribing the wheel-like structure, and further defining each of opposite sidewalls diverging outwardly laterally from the opposite-end sidewall of the wheel-like structure as the respective sidewalls extend radially inwardly, and further defining a first face-recess in said face extending back radially inwardly into each of said opposite diverging sides and the structure defining an upper edge of the first facerecess extending at an angle across said face to form thereby a blade having a point at the lower end of the angled upper edge, and the wheel-like structure defining an abutting member for abutting an abutment limiting upward pivotal movement of the blade around the axis; a plate structure defining a central space therethrough having a size and shape shaped to substantially flushly receive the wheel-like structure with a predetermined excess space on at least the forward edge thereof adjacent the blade and opposite diverging sides adjacent the blade such that the plate may beshifted slidably to and fro from forward and rearward directions within said slot, the forward edge of the plates centralspace structure being substantially parallel with the face at points in juxtaposition therewith such that a scissor cutting action results between the upper front edge of the plate and the blade when the blade is brought downwardly relative to the plates forward front edge upon revolving pivotably the wheel-like structure; and spring means biased against said plate and supported such that the plate is spring-biased rearwardly along the slot in a sliding position between the shoulders thereby providing for a snug and cleancutting blade action.

2. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 1, including handle means for rotating pivotably the wheellike structure around the axis.

3. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 2, including linear aligning structure extending substantially parallel to the axis forwardly of the axis and above the plate structure s upper surface and above the slot, spaced from the axis a distance less than the wheel structures radius and extending as shoulders one in each of opposite directions from points in juxtaposition to each of opposite radially inwardly diverging sides such that a flat microfilm having a linear edge when aligned along either or both of the shoulders extends through the face-recess between the blade and the forward edge of the plates central-space structure whereby rotation of the wheel-like structure to move the blade downwardly cuts a notch from the edge of the micro-films linear edge.

4. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 3, including a gauging means movably mounted on said support structure, movable laterally to and fro in a line of movement extending in front of said blade and in front of said aligning shoulders and including indicator means indicative of different positions along the aligning shoulders for positioning a microfilm rectangular or squared jacket for effecting the predetermined positioning of a notch to be cut by the blade from the edge of the microfilm jacket aligned along the aligning shoulders.

5. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 4, in which the gauging means includes a snap-in key element and a spring biasing the key into releasable locking states and the gauging means further includes a slide structure having a flat upper face and slidably mounted on the support structure and including structure coordinately defined in the support structure and the slide structure defining a series of consecutive keyreceiving positions and the spring spring-biasing the key into the positions as the plate structure is slid to one or another of the different predetermined positions for notching an edge of a microfilm jacket.

6. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 5, in which the rearward face of the wheel-like structure includes an indentation, and the spring means is biased against the abutting member such that the plate structure is biased rearwardly, and the plate structure including a rearward edge extending about horizontally through the wheel-like structure s rearward-face indentation such that as the blade is biased upwardly by action of the spring means against the abutting member, upward movement of the blade is terminated by abutment of the abutting member against an upper surface of the rearward edge of the plate structure.

7. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 1, in which the rearward face of the wheel-like structure includes an indentation, and the spring means is biased against the abutting member such that the plate structure is biased rearwardly, and the plate structure including a rearward edge extending about horizontally through the wheel-like structures rearward-face indentation such that as the blade is biased upwardly by action of the spring means against the abutting member, upward movement of the blade is terminated by abutment of the abutting member against an upper surface of the rearward edge of the plate structure. 

1. A microfilm-jacket-notching device comprising in combination: a support structure defining a recess downwardly therein and defining seat spaces on each of opposite lateral sides of the recess for the seating of opposite ends of an axis structure and defining along an upper face of the structure shoulder structure on each of opposite edges extending from front to back along lateral sides of the recess thereby shaping a front-to-back slot between the opposite shoulder structures; a blade means including a wheel-like structure and an axis therefor seatable in each of the seat spaces at each of opposite ends of the axis respectively, the wheel-like structure defining a substantially linear face in substantially parallel alignment with the axis and extending linearly from side to side of the wheel-like structure, and the face extending angularly in each of opposite direction substantially circumscribing the wheel-like structure, and further defining each of opposite sidewalls diverging outwardly laterally from the opposite-end sidewall of the wheel-like structure as the respective sidewalls extend radially inwardly, and further defining a first face-recess in said face extending back radially inwardly into each of said opposite diverging sides and the structure defining an upper edge of the first face-recess extending at an angle across said face to form thereby a blade having a point at the lower end of the angled upper edge, and the wheel-like structure defining an abutting member for abutting an abutment limiting upward pivotal movement of the blade around the axis; a plate structure defining a central space therethrough having a size and shape shaped to substantially flushly receive the wheel-like structure with a predetermined excess space on at least the forward edge thereof adjacent the blade and opposite diverging sides adjacent the blade such that the plate may be shifted slidably to and fro from forward and rearward directions within said slot, the forward edge of the plate''s central-space structure being substantially parallel with the face at points in juxtaposition therewith such that a scissor cutting action results between the upper front edge of the plate and the blade when the blade is brought downwardly relative to the plates forward front edge upon revolving pivotably the wheel-like structure; and spring means biased against said plate and supported such that the plate is spring-biased rearwardly along the slot in a sliding position between the shoulders thereby providing for a snug and clean-cutting blade action.
 2. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 1, including handle means for rotating pivotably the wheel-like structure around the axis.
 3. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 2, including linear aligning structure extending substantially parallel to the axis forwardly of the axis and above the plate structure''s upper surface and above the slot, spaced from the axis a distance less than the wheel structure''s radius and extending as shoulders one in each of opposite direcTions from points in juxtaposition to each of opposite radially inwardly diverging sides such that a flat microfilm having a linear edge when aligned along either or both of the shoulders extends through the face-recess between the blade and the forward edge of the plate''s central-space structure whereby rotation of the wheel-like structure to move the blade downwardly cuts a notch from the edge of the micro-film''s linear edge.
 4. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 3, including a gauging means movably mounted on said support structure, movable laterally to and fro in a line of movement extending in front of said blade and in front of said aligning shoulders and including indicator means indicative of different positions along the aligning shoulders for positioning a microfilm rectangular or squared jacket for effecting the predetermined positioning of a notch to be cut by the blade from the edge of the microfilm jacket aligned along the aligning shoulders.
 5. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 4, in which the gauging means includes a snap-in key element and a spring biasing the key into releasable locking states and the gauging means further includes a slide structure having a flat upper face and slidably mounted on the support structure and including structure coordinately defined in the support structure and the slide structure defining a series of consecutive key-receiving positions and the spring spring-biasing the key into the positions as the plate structure is slid to one or another of the different predetermined positions for notching an edge of a microfilm jacket.
 6. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 5, in which the rearward face of the wheel-like structure includes an indentation, and the spring means is biased against the abutting member such that the plate structure is biased rearwardly, and the plate structure including a rearward edge extending about horizontally through the wheel-like structure''s rearward-face indentation such that as the blade is biased upwardly by action of the spring means against the abutting member, upward movement of the blade is terminated by abutment of the abutting member against an upper surface of the rearward edge of the plate structure.
 7. A microfilm jacket-notching device of claim 1, in which the rearward face of the wheel-like structure includes an indentation, and the spring means is biased against the abutting member such that the plate structure is biased rearwardly, and the plate structure including a rearward edge extending about horizontally through the wheel-like structure''s rearward-face indentation such that as the blade is biased upwardly by action of the spring means against the abutting member, upward movement of the blade is terminated by abutment of the abutting member against an upper surface of the rearward edge of the plate structure. 